Thursday, December 27, 2018

Bernasconi Hills High Point and Perris Benchmark

Hiked: 12/27/2018
Distance: 5.3 miles round trip cross country and dirt road
Summit Elevation: 2689' (Bernasconi), 2677' (Perris)
Prominence: 1029' (Bernasconi), 360' (Perris)
Elevation Gain: 1707'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 1.36
Round trip time: 3 hours 45 minutes
Recommended water: 80 oz.
Parking/Fees: $10 CA State Parks
Difficulty: Moderate

The mountains around Lake Perris in Moreno Valley are a boulder strewn playground. I had been to the park once before to tag Mt. Russell on the Lower Peaks List. This visit was to traverse the Bernasconi Hills, south of the lake. The Bernasconi Hills High Point is also a tasty P1K. During the winter months, the area is open to bird hunters, so it's best to wear bright clothing. I didn't see anyone or hear any gunshots the whole day. I drove into the park on Bernasconi Drive and paid $10 to the unattended automated machine for entrance to the park. About 100' past the entrance on the right, I parked in a dirt lot at the west end of the hills. I ascended directly up the west ridge, a little muddy from rain two days earlier. I passed over a false summit, then dropped to a saddle and went north toward the high point. With minimal route finding, nothing was more than class 2, including the summit boulder. There were good views from the summit, especially toward Perris Benchmark a couple of miles further along the ridge. Rock features blocked views of some parts of the lake. I did not find a benchmark or register. I had a quick snack break, then started down the ridge toward Perris.


Southwest end of the Bernasconi Hills, high point not visible


West ridge from the dirt lot


The high point across a deep gully, I stayed on the ridge




Heading toward the high point




Perris Benchmark at the end of the ridge


Looking back at ascent ridge

I found a good animal trail down to the the first shallow saddle. Cresting the first bump, I realized there were several bumps to navigate between the high point and Perris. The winter brush was light and brittle offering little resistance. Tall rock features dotted the ridge making the trek interesting. As I neared the end of the ridge, I climbed the highest boulder, the only class 3 of the day. From the top, I saw a marker on the next, lower boulder. That was the location of the Perris Benchmark with great views of the lake and surroundings. I didn't find a register. One more quick break, and I started down, continuing southwest to a gully that I wanted to follow to the dirt road that ran parallel to the hills. It was a very steep descent and it would be a hard way to ascend (do not recommend coming up this way). As I started back along the road, I spotted what appeared to be the remains of a large bird. Feathers radiated out from a central circle. I took a couple feathers home where Google Lens predicted they were from a wild turkey, but it was identified by Joseph Esparza as a golden pheasant. My guess is a hunter bagged one here. Shortly after that, I startled a buck that was hiding in the low brush. He dashed ahead, eventually heading up into the hills. This was a short, fun traverse on some less frequented low mountains.




Descending to a saddle








Recent deer shed


Perris Benchmark from the higher boulder,
Peak 2444 in the background


The higher boulder


Looking back at the Bernasconi Hills HP




Lake Perris and Alessandro Island


Descending to the road




High Point from the road


Golden pheasant remains


Buck



Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Sierra Club San Diego Peaks List Finish

Hiked: 12/7/2012 to 12/8/2018
Distance: 479.7 miles
Average Distance: 6.6 miles (per hike)
Summit Elevation: 1152' (Lowest) to 6512' (Highest)
Total Gain: 142,364'
Total Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 113.9
Average Gain: 1977' (per hike)
Total Hike Time: 292.5 hours
Average Miles/Hour: 1.64
Total Miles Driven: 15,803
Parking/Fees/Fares: $18
Difficulty: Easy to Very Strenuous

The Sierra Club San Diego Peaks List contained 100 peaks when I started and didn't change during my pursuit. This meta post provides concrete data of my experience completing the list. Driving long distances became a frequent occurrence and my perspective on what a long drive was changed over time. Your experience will vary depending on where you live and how many peaks you combine into single trips. A quick note about the Average Distance and Gain. I used the average per hike (72 hikes) instead of the average per peak because I climbed more than one official peak on many hikes. I thought it better represented the experience to list the averages per hike. For comparison, the average distance per peak was 4.8 miles and the average gain per peak was 1424'. The San Diego 100 Peaks List has some short, easy hikes, but also some beasts.

Raw stats don't always convey the level of effort. Many mountains on the list demand boulder scrambling, and more have a rampart of sharp things defending them. I often joke about pliers/tweezers being the 11th essential for hiking the Anza-Borrego peaks. While officially optional, a rope was required to reach the top of the summit block on Square Top.

Though I was also working on other goals along the way, it took me six years and one day of sustained effort to finish. I owe a monumental debt to everyone that went before and provided routes, reports, and inspiration. Thanks to the Sierra Club for selecting an exceptional group of San Diego County peaks and to list founder Paul Freiman. Thanks to Ben Baumann who created high quality reports and unique routes. Thanks to everyone who endured long drives and less than ideal conditions to climb these mountains with me.

Peakbagger map of Sierra Club San Diego Peaks List

The table below can be sorted by clicking on any column heading or filtered by typing in the search box.

Distance and Time in the table is for the round trip hike. Drive was the round trip drive in miles. Note: a zero (0) for distance, gain, time, and drive means that peak was part of a multi-peak day hike and the stats were combined for one peak in the trip.

Peak Summit Distance (mi) Gain Time (hrs) Drive (mi) Report
Indianhead 3968' 9 3145' 7.5 236 report
Black Mountain #2 1554' 4.2 775' 1.5 134 report
Iron Mountain 2696' 5.5 1101' 1.8 8 report
Woodson Mountain 2897' 7.2 2059' 2.8 138 report
Mt. Israel 1346' 4.4 1316' 1.5 120 report
Bernardo Mountain 1152' 7.5 900' 2.2 120 report
El Cajon Mountain 3675' 11.8 4073' 5.7 174 report
White Benchmark 5326' 0 0' 0 0 report
The Thimble 5779' 0 0' 0 0 report
San Ysidro Mountain 6147' 9.4 3248' 7.5 286 report
Bonny Benchmark 4574' 0 0' 0 0 report
Piedras Grandes 2601' 0 0' 0 0 report
Puff Benchmark 2716' 13.3 3520' 10 306 report
Moan Benchmark 2939' 0 0' 0 00 report
Indian Hill 2280' 0 0' 0 0 report
Cowles Mountain 1591' 5.9 1710' 2 158 report
Pyles Peak 1379' 0 0' 0 0 report
Kwaay Paay 1194' 0 0' 0 0 report
Fortuna Mountain 1291' 7 1983' 3.3 5 report
Mt. Gower 3103' 6.7 2150' 4 180 report
Boucher Hill 5438' 0 0' 0 172 report
Borrego Mountain 1207' 3.5 850' 2.3 260 report
Borrego East Butte 1196' 2.7 1020' 1.8 5 report
Pinyon Ridge 4614' 0 0' 0 0 report
Wilson Benchmark 4573' 11.8 2920' 4.5 208 report
Eagle Peak 3226' 4.4 1050' 1.8 228 report
Agua Tibia 4779' 16.7 3300' 7.7 154 report
Viejas Mountain 4187' 3.2 1475' 2 198 report
McGinty Mountain 2183' 4.9 1515' 2.5 20 report
Black Mountain #1 4051' 4.9 1190' 1.5 134 report
Granite Mountain 5633' 8.2 2900' 5 222 report
Eagle Crag 5077' 18.2 3900' 7.5 190 report
Palomar Mountain 6140' 0.9 100' 0.33 194 report
Combs Peak 6193' 4.7 1140' 2.5 25 report
Ode Benchmark 1512' 0 0' 0 0 report
Kay Benchmark 3587' 0 0' 0 0 report
Sirens Peak 4401' 0 0' 0 0 report
San Ysidro Mountain East 5386' 12 5465' 11.66 230 report
Webo Benchmark 4173' 0 0' 0 0 report
Ted Benchmark 2369' 0 0' 0 0 report
Lawson Peak 3664' 8.1 2575' 4.5 220 report
Gaskill Peak 3836' 0 0' 0 0 report
Bell Bluff 3409' 7.2 1800' 3.5 214 report
Los Pinos 4805' 7.9 2080' 4 260 report
Corte Madera 4657' 0 0' 0 0 report
Cody Benchmark 5586' 0 0' 0 0 report
Palm Mesa High Point 4660' 10.5 4560' 9.25 210 report
Ghost Mountain 3400' 4.2 900' 2.5 240 report
Pike Benchmark 5571' 4.9 1700' 3.25 40 report
Middle Peak 5883' 0 0' 0 0 report
Cuyamaca 6512' 18.6 3975' 8.25 222 report
Japacha 5825' 0 0' 0 0 report
Stonewall Peak 5730' 0 0' 0 0 report
Oakzanita 5054' 0 0' 0 0 report
Sugg Peak 5243' 9.6 1750' 4.5 222 report
Pine Mountain 5640' 0.5 100' 0.25 76 report
Garnet Peak 5880' 2.4 540' 1 252 report
Garnet Mountain 5680' 1 200' 0.5 2 report
Roost Benchmark 4351' 8 2200' 3.5 20 report
Monument Peak 6271' 3.5 750' 1.33 0 report
Square Top 4649' 8.4 2950' 7.75 218 report
Mt. Tule 4647' 0 0' 0 0 report
Groan Benchmark 2732' 0 0' 0 0 report
Gasp Benchmark 3223' 11 4419' 8.75 274 report
Wooded Hill 6223' 1.3 299' 0.5 242 report
Manza Benchmark 5556' 4.3 1048' 2.3 7 report
Pinyon Mountain 4492' 0 0' 0 0 report
Whale Peak 5349' 7.1 2133' 3.83 240 report
Sentenac 3068' 2.2 900' 1.16 20 report
Mine Peak 1850' 1.9 707' 1 356 report
Red Hill 1720' 3 933' 1.5 0 report
Jacumba 4512' 6 2933' 5.5 0 report
Coyote Mountain 3192' 5 2650' 3 256 report
Grapevine 3955' 6.5 2058' 4.33 220 report
Otay Mountain 3566' 0 0' 0 103 report
Tecate Peak 3885' 0 0' 0 22 report
Sheephead Mountain 5896' 3.5 1034' 2 172 report
Morena Butte 3920' 9 2064' 4.66 246 report
Goat Benchmark 4232' 9.4 2657' 6.16 210 report
Peak 3339 3339' 8 1753' 4.16 288 report
Peak 3640 (North Pinyon) 3640' 4.5 1665' 2.5 228 report
Split Mountain East 1690' 4.1 1700' 3.25 302 report
Split Mountain West 1680' 5.4 1929' 3.5 302 report
Sombrero Peak 4229' 3.5 2011' 3 354 report
False Sombrero 3463' 2 1359' 2.5 4 report
Travelers Peak 2697' 4.8 2326' 4 274 report
Pyramid Peak 3480' 0 0' 0 0 report
Rosa Point 5000' 0 0' 0 0 report
Mile High Mountain 5320' 19.2 7107' 14.75 260 report
Villager Peak 5756' 0 0' 0 0 report
Vallecito Mountains HP 3583' 5.9 1415' 4.5 312 report
Sunset Mountain 3657' 4 1988' 3.83 254 report
Stage Benchmark 2816' 11 2777' 6.5 270 report
Diablo Benchmark 2440' 9.5 1362' 4 270 report
Elder Benchmark 3433' 6.2 2438' 6.25 254 report
Palms Benchmark 3121' 0 0' 0 0 report
Collins Benchmark 4559' 14.3 4313' 12.25 214 report
Knob Benchmark 3431' 0 0' 0 0 report
Sawtooth Mountains HP 4684' 16.8 4408' 13.25 288 report
Red Top 4467' 16.5 4238' 12.25 288 report

Sunday, December 9, 2018

Red Top

Hiked: 12/8/2018
Distance: 16.5 miles round trip cross country
Summit Elevation: 4467'
Prominence: 667'
Elevation Gain: 4238'
Elevation Gain (in Empire State Buildings): 3.39
Round trip time: 12 hours 15 minutes
Recommended water: 202 oz.
Parking/Fees: Free on North Indian Canyon Road
Difficulty: Very Strenuous

Matt and I returned to North Indian Canyon Road, two weeks after our hike to Sawtooth, determined to get Red Top (SDC #42). It was the final peak I needed to complete the Sierra Club San Diego Peak List. A 4x4 is needed for the large rocks and sand on Indian Canyon Road. This time, Matt left his car parked off S2 and I drove in to an unmarked spot off the road we used as a trailhead. Ninety percent of this hike was the same as Sawtooth. Only the upper reaches of Red Top offered new terrain. We got started at 4:20 AM, but instead of the full moon we had for the first hike, there was no moon at all. Complete darkness except for the stars. Matt used a headlamp, and I used a handheld flashlight in addition to a headlamp. As we crossed the first mile toward the Tierra Blanca Pass, some plants glowed silver in our artificial light. The experience from our first hike paid off and we made a quick, cholla-free crossing over the pass down to Canebrake Wash.

To make the approach different, we turned right after the fence and followed the road that was signed for Inner Pasture, heading directly at Red Top. We thought it would intersect the road closer to the Sawtooth Mountains, but we didn't find it. Instead, before we got too far, we went over the open desert until we found the road. The sun came up as we marched toward the ascent gully. We both cached water beneath the large boulder at the entrance and took a break to refuel. We went up the gully then drifted north, staying inside a sort of alley between higher ridges on both sides. The terrain is confusing and sometimes a 50' ridge blocked the view where 80' contour lines on the GPS showed a flat area. It was a relatively smooth ascent to the reach our previous stopping point. Ahead was a gully full of over-sized boulders. We started up favoring the right side, then dropped back into the middle to get around one of the 40' boulders. We stayed in the gully until it ended about 200' below the summit. The wall of rocks choked with vegetation made a direct approach look improbable, or at very least, miserable. We climbed a short wall to the west to reach a final plateau clear of boulders. From this point forward, our GPS track is a mess as we picked our way up and across the maze toward the summit. There was a lot of bushwhacking and backtracking. Sometimes we would split up to explore different options, shouting to each other if it advanced our cause. The last 100' was mostly class 3, with the same kind of recon and route finding needed to find a way to the summit block. The difficulty of the summit area validated the call to turn back the first time when we were short on daylight.



Starting up






Massive boulders in the big gully just below Red Top




First good look at the summit


Squeezing through boulders




Matt about 50' below the summit


Register can below the summit block






Summit block

A single red can held the register underneath the summit block. The summit block was about 20', but another boulder was piled against it to provide a head start. While the block is rated class 3, the final 10-12' was a mostly smooth surface requiring a friction move onto a one inch ledge on the left. The ledge is flaking with time and might fail at some point. It was a little spicier than expected, though the exposure was not bad. A slip would probably result in a slide back into the starting boulder. I got down by sliding into it. The views from the summit were fantastic, more valuable because they were earned. While similar to Sawtooth, I felt the views from Red Top were better because they were more central. The view down the southeast ridge of Red Top was something special. The Inner Pasture and Canebrake surrounded everything like a moat. For Matt, it was his 69th peak on the Sierra Club San Diego Peak List. For me, it was 100/100 and a perfect list finish. After we both signed the register, we spread out on one of the monster slabs for lunch. We tried to return the way we came up, but there were minor variations. It took us about 2 hours to descend back to the bottom of the ascent gully and collect water cache #2. The walk back was long, interrupted occasionally by startled jack rabbits. We stopped at water cache #1 to retrieve what was left. Because the temps were ideal for a long desert hike (46F - 64F), I used a lot less water than expected and poured out the remaining water from the cache. We thought the sun would set when we reached the top of the pass, but we made it back to the truck just as twilight was fading. While the stats undersell it, I consider either Sawtooth or Red Top alone about equal in difficulty to Cactus to Clouds, and combined of greater difficulty. The challenges are very different, but the time required tells the tale. Red Top is a unique mountain that thoroughly captured my imagination. It is the Tyrannosaurus Rex of the SDC list. It's combination of remoteness, allure, and layered defenses make it one of my all time favorites. Had I climbed it first, my blog might be named "Red Top Hiker".


Matt on the summit




100/100


Momentary immortality


Looking over at Sawtooth Mountains High Point






East ridge


Southwest






Descending






Final look back at Red Top


Returning to the pass




Twilight in the desert